1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a waste disposal system, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a system for collecting fly ash and solidifying same for easy efficient handling thereof.
2. Background of the Invention
One of the age old problems associated with the burning of coal or more particularly pulvarized coal in furnaces for boilers and the like is that of disposing of the fly ash residue. Fly ash is considered a waste material which is a finely divided ash residue produced by the combustion of pulvarized coal. This fly ash residue is typically prevented from being carried off with the exhaust gases of the furnace by use of fly ash collection means such as electrostatic precipitators or bag houses.
The fly ash is more accurately described as a heterogeneous mixture of both crystalline and non-crystalline particulate material which includes a variety of chemical elements in various forms including, among others, potash (K.sub.2 O), lime (CaO), zinc oxide (ZnO) and borax (B.sub.2 O.sub.3).
Fixed containers or silos for holding the fly ash must be carefully constructed to prevent release of this light wispy substance into the atmosphere where it would quickly become a major source of pollution in the area of the furnace. If the fly ash is stored in a silo or bin, care must be taken to protect it from the elements since when wetted and packed it sets up and hardens not unlike cement. In fact its cement-like characteristics have led enterprising inventors in the past to attempt to use fly ash in building blocks for construction. With the increased use of coal in electric power plants and the like in an effort to postpone the petroleum fuel crises, the problem of disposing of fly ash is rapidly taking on alarming proportions.
In summary, the fly ash must be constantly removed from the furnaces, it must be handled very carefully lest it become a major source of pollution and it must be ultimately disposed of in a way so as not to upset the delicate ecological balance.